My Memories

Angel on High

2011-12-17T04:37:00.002-05:00

The Bugs of Potty Training

2011-12-15T23:37:00.008-05:00

For the last few months I've been ready to potty train Daniel, but I couldn't stick to it because it hurt my back too much to bend over the toilet while I was pregnant. I got home from the hospital with Benjamin on Saturday and Monday morning I pulled out the training pants for Daniel. Jim questioned my timing and my sanity; I was just so glad to be able to finally bend over.

With this new potty training quest, I needed some kind of incentive for Daniel. My babysitter took him to the toy store to choose something exciting. He came home with a box of plastic insects. After each successful potty, he would go to the box of insects and pick out the scariest looking bug he could find. Ick.

A Box, A Bag, and a Boy

2011-12-07T07:17:00.010-05:00

James needed one of my shoe boxes for a project at school. I reluctantly gave it to him. I liked my box. He knew that I liked my box and decided to make me a new box out of wood scraps from the garage. When the box was finished, it just didn't seem right to put my shoes in it. I looked around and wondered what we should put in this little box. Earlier that week, I had found a bag full of leaves and such in James' school bag. I asked him what it was. His reply, "Oh, those. Just stuff I found on the mountain that I liked." I looked again into the bag. I tenderly sifted through the leaves in the bag, impressed that James noticed them and thought they were special. I couldn't help but feel thankful that he noticed them. His "collection" showed me a side of his little boy heart that I didn't know was there. I decided they were the perfect things to fill this new box.

Our Pumpkin Moonshine, 2011

2011-11-25T07:19:00.000-05:00

Favorite Fall Reads (preschool books)

2011-11-25T07:09:00.004-05:00

Pumpkin Moonshine, by Tasha Tudor and This is Not a Pumpkin, by Bob Staake

Ben's First Bath, Halloween 2011

2011-11-22T02:34:00.000-05:00

Home Sweet Home

2011-11-21T01:49:00.011-05:00

On October 29th I came home from the hospital. Jim had to work all day, but Miriam was there with me at the hospital and helped me get discharged. We rode a cab home and when I walked in the door the house was the cleanest I have seen it in ages. On my bed were my pajamas and on my night stand was a bowl of cream of broccoli soup and toast. Susan Grace had taken the younger children to the museum near our home and the house was quiet and sunny. I set the baby down next to my bed. My children had worked so hard and it felt so good to be home, I started to cry. Later that night, the branch had a trick or treating party for the primary. Jim was still working. Pulling out all of the costumes (along with face paint) and getting the kids out the door was very overwhelming. For the second time in one day, I felt the burning sensation of tears welling up in my eyes, this time for a different reason.
Oh, no, here I go on the postpartum rollercoaster of emotions.

Welcome Home Benjamin, October 29, 2011

2011-11-12T01:54:00.003-05:00

A few hours later...October 28, 2011

2011-11-12T01:41:00.007-05:00

Delivery Room, Severence Hospital, Seoul, Korea

2011-11-10T07:21:00.016-05:00

A few months before Benjamin was born, I took Miriam to a prenatal appointment with me. Out of the blue, I found myself asking if my oldest daughters could come to the birth of our baby. I expected the doctor to give an emphatic, "No". I just about fell off my chair when she said, "I think that would be great."
Why did I ask? I wondered to myself, over and over again, but Miri, Miri lived each moment of the next few months strategizing how she could convince me that the doctor was right.
In the end, my two oldest daughters were there with Jim and me for the birth of Benjamin; my only child birth experience without pain medication.
Jim said he's never heard anyone scream inside a building as loudly as I did the last five minutes of delivery.
The reason I aquiesced to my daughters' desperate begging to see their baby brother be born? Because they have been so helpful during my pregnancy, it didn't seem fair to leave them out of the most exciting moment of all.

5:15 p.m., October 27, 2011

2011-11-10T01:40:00.025-05:00

Benjamin Paul Oldroyd
3.87 kilograms (8 pounds, 8 ounces)
51.2 centimeters (20 inches)

After six weeks of sporadic bouts of false labor, Benjamin's due date came and went; still no baby. With the exception of Susan Grace (my first baby), I have gone into labor on or before my due date with all of my other children. Much to my disappointment, it looked like I was going to have to be induced with this baby. Bummer! Knowing what I knew about my previous birth experience in Korea, I faced the facts: induction without epidural. Yikes.

The Seoul Zoo

2011-10-26T03:10:00.006-04:00

After I hit 39 weeks of pregnancy, we started trying desperately (and without success) to get my body to go into labor. One of the funnest things we did was go to the zoo.

38 Weeks

2011-10-26T03:02:00.008-04:00

Oh, Brother!

2011-10-25T09:11:00.013-04:00

In the beginning of my pregnancy, I was certain our baby would be a girl. I was so certain that I bought some "girl" fabrics to make a quilt. When I found out we were having a boy, I wondered what to do with the fabric. Gracie took the fabric to one of my friends to learn how to make a rag quilt. My friend added blues and stripes to the two fabrics and made the quilt boyish. Brilliant. Now the quilt is perfect for a baby brother.
Miriam liked the quilt so well that she wanted to learn how to make one. She decided that Daniel needed a similiar quilt. She made a cowboy quilt for him.

Awaiting the Baby

2011-10-25T08:58:00.006-04:00

We spent most of the first weekend of October getting the house ready for our baby. We set up the crib, moved Daniel to a big bed, washed clothes, cleaned car seats and other baby equipment. The house now felt a little more full, but empty at the same time. We waited anxiously for our baby to arrive.

My Sugar Mold, Fall 2011

2011-10-25T08:46:00.007-04:00

I got this antique sugar mold from Napa Style a few years ago. It makes flower arranging easy and fun.

Lemon Ice Cream

2011-10-25T07:05:00.008-04:00

A few years ago, when we lived in Chicago, Jim gave me an ice cream maker for my birthday. We attempted, unsuccessfully, to make ice cream a few times. Soon thereafter we moved to Korea. I brought my ice cream maker with me but shoved it into a corner, resolving that if it was difficult to do in Chicago, it would be impossible here.
This summer, I noticed my ice cream maker sitting in the garage and I thought, "Why not try it again?". This time I read through the instruction manual and determined to take a scientific approach to our ice cream making. The first attempt of our ice cream making was for our Fourth of July party. It didn't turn out very good. I determined to try a few new recipes each Sunday during the summer months. A few more tries and our ice cream was delicious. Our favorite recipe is Lemon Ice Cream (a recipe Jim had growing up).

Lemon Ice Cream
6 quart freezer
5 1/2 C sugar
1 gallon whole milk
Heat milk until just bubbly, add sugar and dissolve over low heat.
Remove from heat. Add the juice of ten lemons.
Stir in one pint of whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of lemon extract.
Cool in refridgerator overnight.
Mix in ice cream freezer.

*This recipe actually makes two batches in our six quart machine.

Anna's Birthday

2011-10-23T02:55:00.012-04:00

Anna's "lucky" birthday was planned to a tee: Everland, Hanbok, Chuseok. It was going to be perfect. Then, three days before her birthday, she came down with a fever. It was terrible. She felt aweful. The whole plan was foiled. On the morning of her birthday we drove into downtown Seoul and took some photos. She felt horrible and begged to go home. Sad. It turns out she had pneumonia. As my mom used to say, "...the best laid plans of mice and men".
.

Anna at Ten:
Anna's favorite color is red. But she says it will change soon to green.
Anna's favorite food is spaghetti.
Anna's favorite books are The Percy Jackson Series.
Anna loves music and doesn't have a favorite song because she "loves all songs." She just joined the church choir. It is one of her favorite activities during the week.
Anna's favorite movie is the Korean Series, Dae Jung Geum.
Anna's favorite pastimes are playing piano, reading, drawing, playing school with Margaret, and wrestling with James.
Anna is like sunshine. She is a sincere optimist. The other day she had to go somewhere she was just dreading. She muttered around the house for a while complaining about how horrible her day was going to be. Then she disappeared into the back room for a minute and came out with a big smile on her face. She said, "I've decided, I'm going to face this with a smile."

Our Chuseok Girl

2011-10-22T02:12:00.010-04:00

Anna's birthday this year fell on Chuseok Day. Chuseok is a special day in Korea when most people spend the morning with their families, honoring their ancestors. Many travel to the countryside where their relatives live. It is one of the only days of the year when Seoul is desolate, like a ghost town. We have made it a tradition to go to the amusement park, Everland on Chuseok. The weather is usually nice and there are few crowds, especially in the morning. Anna felt very fortunate that her birthday was going to fall on such a celebration and asked for one gift, a Hanbok. A few weeks before her birthday we went shopping for the special traditional Korean dress. I felt like she was trying on wedding dresses. She looked so lovely as she tried a few different colors and styles. The decision was difficult to make. It came down to a soft "blossom" pink and green dress or a more regal looking red and green dress that is the style of the time period of one of Anna's favorite Korean Heroines, Dae Jang Geum. She decided to get the "regal, Dae Jang Geum" dress and waited anxiously for her birthday and the chance to wear it to Everland....(to be continued).

Margaret's Hanbok

2011-10-22T01:49:00.008-04:00

Chuseok holiday is a Korean harvest celebration when many wear the traditional dress or Hanbok. It is endearing to see the little children dressed in these colorful, fancy clothes. It seems there are no two alike. It is one of my favorite celebrations of the year.

Seven Months (and counting)

2011-10-20T08:40:00.004-04:00

Thailand: Days Seven to Ten (Phuket)

2011-10-20T08:10:00.009-04:00

I love Phuket.

Favorite Chiang Mai Photos

2011-10-20T01:52:00.008-04:00

Things I loved about Chiang Mai:

the picturesque landscape

the suspension bridges

the water buffalo

the cloud bursts

the night market with colorful goods from the hill tribes

Thailand Day Six, (Chiang Mai) Flight of the Gibbon

2011-10-20T01:18:00.012-04:00

Soaring through the rain forest like a bunch of monkeys.
(Sorry, no pregnant women allowed.)

Bamboo Rafting on the Ping River, Chiang Dao

2011-10-19T23:41:00.003-04:00

Exploring the Chiang Dao Cave

2011-10-19T23:15:00.004-04:00

There were a few times on our vacation that I worried about my parents being able to "handle" the terrain or the schedule or toilets or whatever. One of these times was when we were exploring the Chiang Dao Cave. We had to climb over rocks and through mud and up along the cave walls (it was the rainy season and much of the cave had been flooded). Well, my parents suprised me. They were up for just about anything and kept up with everyone much better than I did!
I also smiled when Margaret noticed the stalagtites and the stalagmites in the cave. I thought, "I never taught her that". I asked her where she learned it. She replied, "Little Einsteins". Well, I guess all that TV time isn't a pure waste.

Thailand Day Five, (Chiang Mai) Elephants

2011-10-19T22:33:00.006-04:00

Thailand, Day Four, Chiang Mai Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2011-10-19T22:16:00.008-04:00

Sunday, we set off to find the church. Jim had lost the address and he was just going off his memory and a cheap tourist map. It seemed very unlikely that we would find the chapel. Jim sat in front with the driver, attempting to direct him. I was sitting in the back of the cabby truck with the children. The situation seemed pretty dismal. We said a prayer that we could find the church. It wasn't long before we saw the beautiful, familiar sign in Thai writing: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints". The children started to cheer. It made me weepy to hear my children cheer to go to church.

Thailand, Day Three (Chiang Mai), The Tiger Park

2011-10-19T21:56:00.010-04:00

Thailand Day Two (Miriam's Birthday)

2011-10-19T08:10:00.008-04:00

Miriam turned twelve in Bangkok.
The night before her birthday we went shopping at the Bangkok night market. She got a fancy clip for her hair. Afterwards, we shared a fondue platter at Haagen Daz. Yummm. The night of her birthday we boarded an overnight train heading for Chiang Mai. When Miriam got on the train and saw the bunk beds and realized that we were going to be having a huge family "sleep over", her face just beamed. This train ride seemed to be the perfect way to celebrate her birthday.
From a child's point of view, I guess the train was like a glorified campout adventure. My point of view? The train was a bit shabby. The first-class cabins had all sold out and that meant that we would be sharing a toilet and sink with thirty other people. Some of these people just happened to be a group of young adults that had alcohol and cigarettes and decided midnight was a good time to get the party going. A bit more spice for our adventure. :)

Some things about Miri:

Her favorite book is Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
Her favorite food is Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Her favorite pastimes are sewing, walking our dog, reading, and playing piano.
Her favorite color is purple.
Her favorite movie is Remember the Titans.
Her favorite song is If I Die Young by Band Perry.
Miriam is enthusiastic. She loves to be involved. She has been begging me to come to the birth of our baby. What do I say to that?
She loves to share her opinion. She loves people and is concerned about them. She is goal oriented. She can accomplish much quickly. She is determined. She is a bit firey and spunky--this can make you laugh or make you cry. She has good fashion sense.
She is helpful and thoughtful and has good desires.
She is independent but loves to be with the family.
Miriam can do just about anything she sets her mind to. She loves a challenge and she often makes it look easy.
Miriam is full of surprises and loves to be an entertainer. The other day, Miri's young women leaders were visiting her. They started to discuss whether or not the branch dance should be a line dance or a regular dance. This was an important topic to Miri because if the decision was to go with a line dance then she could attend, otherwise the youth invited would be only those fourteen years old and up. During the discussion, Miri suddenly stood up and started to act like she was very stiffly slow dancing with an imaginary person, while she sang, "Forever young, I want to be forever young...." Then out of nowhere she says, "I like your sleeves". I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Thailand, Day Two (Bangkok)

2011-10-19T03:34:00.010-04:00

On our second day in Bangkok, we went downtown and visited the Royal Palace and the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho). The weather and crowds were stifling. Afterwards we walked through the food markets and down to the Bangkok River (Chao Phraya) where we took a short boat tour. From the river, the view of the city was refreshing. We caught a quick glimpse of the Wat Arun (Temple of the Dawn). The river itself was rough with choppy waves and our driver was a bit reckless. This boat ride definitely added spice to our adventure. Some have said that Bangkok is the Venice of Asia. I would say that Bangkok is Venice with an uncanny twist (ie. reckless drivers, rough water and not much romance.) Maybe the lack of romance part had to do with me being six months pregnant and having my parents and six children along for the ride. :)

Swimming at the Hotel in Bangkok

2011-10-19T03:08:00.009-04:00

Thailand Day One (Bangkok)

2011-10-19T02:23:00.013-04:00

We met my parents at the Bangkok airport at about midnight on August 3, 2011. Early the next morning we set off for the floating markets of Bangkok. On the way we visited a coconut farm where coconut flowers are turned into candy. This woman is frying bananas from her boat on the floating market. They were delicious. They reminded me of "platenos amarillo" in the Dominican Republic.

Six Months, Thailand, August 2011

2011-10-07T02:38:00.005-04:00

Rain, Rain, Rain

2011-10-06T01:37:00.003-04:00

This summer Seoul had more rain than it has had in 100 years. It rained and rained. Then it really rained. All day long, all night long. It started to rain mid June. About mid July the rain came down so relentlessly that it caused severe flooding and mudslides. The effects were devastating (see news link below). In August we traveled to Thailand for ten days. When the plane landed in Seoul, it was raining. I could not believe it.
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/08/south_korean_deluge.html

A Beautiful Party

2011-09-25T21:05:00.015-04:00

Miri's twelfth birthday party had her personality written all over it. She put her talents to the test by planning, organizing, and executing this "spa party"almost single handedly. Some of the highlights were:
1. the nail artist and her collection of nail polish
2. the homemade avocado face mask
3. the homemade honey and oatmeal scrub
4. the homemade lemon facial steam

Miriam was an absolutely delightful hostess, enthusiastic about the party and gracious to her guests. I've always thought she was born a teenager. With this party her true colors shone brightly.

I would describe Miri as independent and driven with a curiously intuitive creative streak. She does not get this creative streak from me. I shy away from any kind of party planning. I think we both knew that this party went above and beyond my abilities. She didn't let this discourage her and off she went, planning and preparing on her own.
Miriam made a budget to guide her expenses. She stuck to that budget and with a few tough decisions stayed within the budget by two dollars. Could this be the sign of a responsible teenager?
We had one small glitch with the party planning. I wanted her to make a strawberry icecream cake and she wanted a cotton candy flavored ice cream cake. When she went to order the ice cream, she ordered strawberry to make me happy. The sales clerk misunderstood her and thought she said sherbet instead of strawberry, but we didn't figure that out until we got home with twenty dollars worth of sherbet ice cream. We were both really bummed. Miri of course regretted ordering strawberry on my account and I regretted pressuring her into getting a flavor that I like. Now we were in a bind because the budget had not allowed for this mistake, but she wasn't about to make a rainbow sherbet ice cream cake. Miri thought about it, adjusted a few expenses and was able to get the cotton candy icecream. Yeah! I learned two things: cotton candy ice cream cake is as yucky as it sounds and, who cares? It's not my birthday cake anyway.

Stepping Stones

2011-09-07T01:15:00.009-04:00

Daniel, June 2011, Nagoya, Japan

Nagoya, Japan Summer 2011

2011-09-07T01:12:00.002-04:00

The Nagoya Castle

2011-09-06T03:50:00.006-04:00

On our last day in Japan, we visited the Nagayo Castle. What impressed me about the castle was the enormous rocks used in the engineering of the walls and the giant trees that were scattered about the landscape. The Nagoya Castle was quiet and serene. This is something that amazed me about Japan. It is quiet. The cars are quiet, the houses are quiet, the streets are quiet, the people are quiet. Very different from the other Asian cities that I have visited.

Small World Magic on the River

2011-09-01T06:28:00.012-04:00

In addition to the magic of watching the Comorants fish on the river, we had a serendipitous event during our night river tour. We were eating our picnic of tuna fish sandwiches aboard our boat before it left the dock. The sun was setting and the evening was beautiful. A young couple boarded the boat. The girl was especially pretty and had a huge smile. She sat down next to my daughters and they were ecstatic. She looked interested in getting to know us and I have to admit by stomach dropped as I noticed her eye my Father-in-Law's missionary name tag. "Oh no," I groaned to myself. I wasn't in a talkative mood and I am ashamed to admit, I wasn't looking forward to this tour being a missionary discussion.
It turns out that she is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon)! Not only that, she herself is a returned missionary from the Utah Temple Square Mission. She was born and raised in Russia and joined the church there five years ago. She is living in Japan working on an internship as a student of Brigham Young University (Jim and my alma mater). She spoke Russian, English, and Japanese fluently. A fascinating young woman.

Magic and the Night River of Nagaragawa (near Gifu, Japan)

2011-08-31T22:28:00.016-04:00

Last spring, for Susan Grace's 9th grade English class, she read a short story called, Magic and the Night River by Eve Bunting. It is about a Japanese boy and his grandfather who fish with birds called Cormorants (a fishing practice that is over a thousand years old).
When we were planning our trip to Japan, Susan Grace had the wonderful suggestion that we find a place where we could watch Cormorant fishing.

The Kimono

2011-08-29T21:58:00.014-04:00

While we were in Japan, we went to one of the big department stores in the city of Nagoya. A mannequin on display wore a kimono with a "bow" bustling out of the back like a giant silk butterfly. It was beautiful.
A few days later some friends of Jim's parents came to English class in their kimonos. How fun!
On the night before we left Japan, we went to dinner at a traditional Japanese restaraunt. We ate sushi and skiaki. The waitress wore an elegant kimono.
By now, I had fallen in love with the kimono. While we were in the airport waiting for our flight, Jim bought the older girls a kimono to share. What I didn't realize until then, is that although the bow of the kimono is beautiful, it is almost impossible to tie.

Nagano Farms

2011-08-29T01:44:00.018-04:00

The valley of Nagano was full of meticulously cared for farms: rice fields, apple orchards, grape vines, and residential gardens. As we drove through the town, I couldn't help but notice that some of the farmers were up on ladders tending their trees. They were covering each individual apple with tiny paper-like sleeves. I found the farms quaint and charming and I sensed that the land was worked by loving hands.

Nagano Monkeys

2011-08-17T01:22:00.005-04:00

We took a day trip to the mountains of Nagano, Japan (the home of the 1998 Winter Olympics). There is a spot in the mountains called The Monkey Park. We were interested in seeing this park that has been featured in National Geographic magazine. The monkeys are called "snow monkeys". They live surrounded by hot springs and during the winter they play in the snow and then swim in the hot springs. There was no snow while we were there, but the baby monkeys were learning how to swim in the warm water.

Elder and Sister Oldroyd

2011-08-02T02:47:00.006-04:00

Jim's parents live in Nagoya, Japan. They are serving as missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In June it was our good fortune to be able to go and visit them as a family. I can't believe how close we live to each other. The flight was less than two hours.
When we arrived at the airport, they were waiting inside with big smiles and open arms. Their mission president was also there offering us a warm welcome. It's been a long time (almost 20 years) since I was a missionary in the Dominican Republic, Santiago Mission. Being with Grandma Gina and Papa brought back many sweet memories I have of serving as a missionary. I am thankful that Jim and I could visit them with our children. I was impressed with the great sacrifices they cheerfully make each day of their mission. They have left the comforts of their home and family during their "golden years".
The sacrifice that impressed me the most is the three flights of stairs that Grandma Gina climbs each day to get to her office in the mission home. I've known for some time that Grandma Gina does not like stairs. Each time I climbed the stairs to her office I couldn't help but feel her sacrifice in each step.

Five Months, June 2011, Nagoya,Japan

2011-08-02T02:46:00.005-04:00

Heart in Seoul 7

2011-07-26T02:12:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day 2011

2011-07-23T05:43:00.003-04:00

I read something the other day that made me think: "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?" I thought about this question and decided I would be 33 years old. I asked Jim the same question and he said, "I'd be 10". Hmm. This year for Father's Day I thought about that and looked for things for a ten year old. The whole family seemed pleased with this strategy.

Margaret's New Friend

2011-07-23T05:40:00.000-04:00

Now this is a pet I can handle.

Margaret's Fifth Birthday

2011-07-22T01:40:00.008-04:00

Ten days before Margaret's birthday, she fell off the couch and smacked her chin on our tile floor. She split the chin and needed six stitches. The whole affair was quite traumatic for a four year old and she cried frantically throughout the stitching. For the next 10 days, we tended the wound as best we could and tried to clean up little spills of food that would soak through the bandages. Two days before her birthday, the doctor told me the wound looked good, the stitches had all been removed and we could take off the bandage in two days-on her birthday. "Hooray", I thought, "just in time for summer swimming."

On the night of Margaret's birthday, at 11:45 p.m., I was awakened by her screaming. I ran to her room and found her on the floor next to the bed, with blood all over her and her new flamingo bathrobe. "Oh, no!" I thought. "She's split her chin, again."

She had fallen off her bed. We rushed her back over to the emergency room. This time she knew exactly what she was in for and she was hysterical and refused to be seen by the health care workers. After many tears, she was finally sedated so that the doctor could stitch her chin. Unfortunatley, the whole ordeal was much worse this time. The doctor said that the bone of her chin was exposed and the muscles of the chin had to be reconstructed. The scar was much bigger and deeper.

On the bright side-

What's to love about Margaret? Just a few....

1. Margaret is loveable and affectionate. She loves to kiss and hug. She loves "romantic" parts to movies, like kissing. She likes boys.

2. Margaret is dramatic. She sings and dances and loves to perform.

3. Margaret loves toy animals. She can play with toy animals for hours. She feeds them and loves them. Some of her favorite animals are a monkey named, Swing; a dog named, Jingle; and a bunny.

4. Margaret loves pink and pretty. She is feminine.

5. Margaret loves sweet. She has two capped teeth to prove it.

6. One of Margaret's favorite snacks is rice mixed with scrambled egg and wrapped in seaweed or Kim.

7. Margaret's favorite food is fruit crepes with lots of cream and sugar.

8. Margaret's favorite song is "I Know That My Savior Loves Me"

9. Margaret's favorite book is, The Big Book of Little.

10. Margaret's favorite game is Store Front Bingo, but she just so happens to be very good at Memory Match (my favorite game).

11. Margaret is the perfect combination of saucy and soft, which means, she most of the time gets her way.

Tiger Scout

2011-07-22T00:32:00.001-04:00

A Royal Celebration

2011-07-21T23:45:00.020-04:00

We celebrated Margaret's 5th birthday by having our traditional "Princess Party". This celebration was an even bigger treat for me because I had all of the help of my three older daughters. Last summer, Anna stumbled across a book called, Fancy Nancy's Tea Party. Then and there she decided that she would use the ideas in that book when Margaret's birthday party came around. Anna followed through with her plans and worked hard. She made lollipop centerpieces, butterfly placemats, and lovely place settings. Miriam put all of her creative energy to work and made 18 pair of jingle socks (an idea from my dear friend, Trudy in Chicago). She also made 18 pink beanbags and we did the traditional "Bean Bag Song" by Hap Palmer. Gracie made princess crowns out of plastic tubing from Home Depot, glitter pipe cleaner, and silk flowers (another great idea of my dear friend, Trudy). Thanks to my friend, Sooyeun, we added face painting to the celebration this time.

Children's Day 2011

2011-07-21T06:41:00.013-04:00

We have a tradition of visiting Suwon Folk Villiage to celebrate Children's Day. This living museum is one of my favorite places in Korea.

A Working Dog

2011-07-21T02:49:00.005-04:00

Kipboom got big fast. Before we knew it, we had a big, strong dog on our hands. What now? We've tried all sorts of things to manage our dog. A concerned neighbor gave us a series of DVDs called, "The Dog Whisper". We watched those, and then bought a backpack to strap to him so that it would give him more weight to carry and a sense of a job to do. Another concerned neighbor generously gave us a leash called, "The Gentle Leader". This has been very helpful. It keeps him from pulling. Walking the dog can be stressful because he barks and pulls fiercely when he sees another dog.
Another dilemma we encountered is his barking. He barked all day long. Eventually, we had many neighbors complaining.What to do? He kept barking. The police came to our home three times. I finally called the breeder and told him we were going to have to bring him back. The breeder suggested we use a bark collar. As a desperate measure we tried the bark collar and it worked.
Honestly, I didn't know if I should be relieved or disappointed.
Remember, rule #1: Never get a dog. Even if you do love your daughter.

Hunting Easter Eggs

2011-07-21T02:44:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite springtime traditions.

Strawberry Picking

2011-07-21T02:00:00.010-04:00

The day before Easter we went strawberry picking out in the country.
The strawberry farm also had a few animals to pet and feed. There was a donkey, turkey, goose, and a few rabbits. After we were finished picking the strawberries we made strawberry jam using long wooden spoons and large cast iron pots.

My Favorite M&M

2011-07-13T03:09:00.005-04:00

I love peanut M&Ms. Last summer in New York City I visited the M&M store in Times Square. They had every color of M&M imaginable.

I love to put peanut M&Ms in the freezer and eat a handful while they are still frozen. Peanut M&Ms are the best, with the exception of this M&M (Margaret and Miriam).

Enjoying a Springtime Sunday Afternoon

2011-07-12T03:38:00.001-04:00

Irresistable

2011-07-12T03:35:00.001-04:00

Playing in the Park with Daniel, Age 2

2011-07-12T02:53:00.002-04:00

Playing in the Park with Margaret, Age 4

2011-07-12T02:33:00.001-04:00

James Turns Seven

2011-07-08T02:36:00.009-04:00

James turned seven on April 1st. My April Fool's joke was saran wrapping his closet shut. He wanted strawberry pie for his birthday "cake". He also wanted to have relay races on the tennis court near our home. His favorite gift was either the "Game of Life" from Nana or the Nerf machine gun from Daddy.
Here are wonderful things about James:

1. James loves games. His new found love this year is the computer game, "Age of Mythology". He also loves the game of "Risk" and "Life" and "Monopoly". This year he has learned how to play "Great Scott" with the Rook cards. He also loves the Wii.

2. He loves TaeKwonDo and is currently a red belt working hard to earn his black belt.

3. He is learning how to read in Korean.

4. His kitchen job is sweeping and loading the dishwasher.

5. He loves wearing a t-shirt and shorts.

6. He loves to earn money. He often asks me what he can do to earn money and when I put him off, he finds something he can sell and before I know it he's down on the street "earning" money.

7. He loves to shoot guns and to kick balls.

8. He loves to put Daniel to bed by reading him stories. Daniel loves this, too.

9. He is reading The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien with Daddy.

10. He loves numbers. If the clock has a number pattern (like 1234 or 444) he gets very excited.

11. He is good at math (I think this is related to his love of numbers).

12. He is good at the Piano, right now he is working on the piece, Fir Elise.

13. He is a very consciencious student, he does his homework independently and scores high on his tests.

14. He is always on time (make that early).

15. He is fast. Very fast.

16. He loves a challenge. Every once in a while, I will challenge James to read a book. Before I know it, he has finished the book. He is determined. He loves a goal and like I said earlier, he is fast. His favorite books right now are "The ABC Mysteries".

17. He believes in prayer. One day we came home from church and he started to break out into these huge hives all over his body. The hives were huge. Bigger than a fifty cent piece. I couldn't help but act a bit alarmed as I looked at his body. He could see that I was worried and he began to worry too. He looked at me with wide eyes and said, "please pray for me". Another time, Margaret started to choke at the table. There was a hustle and bustle to help her and I caught out of the corner of my eye, James' eyes closed, his head bowed, and his lips moving reverently. He was praying.

Margaret Goes to School

2011-07-08T02:17:00.003-04:00

Margaret started school in March. She goes to Bethel Preschool (the same Korean preschool that James attended two years ago.) She loved it at first, but her enthusiasm for it has waned with time. After going happily the first two weeks of school, she suddenly refused to get on the bus. She complained that it was "boring". What a dilemma. We thought about it and changed her schedule from going everyday to three times a week. This has worked well and she goes without complaining now and even has a smile most days.

When September comes, my hope is that she will go everyday. I hope by then she has picked up a little bit of the language and made some friends.

First Day of School 2011

2011-06-26T03:50:00.018-04:00

In Korea, school starts the first week of March, after a long winter break that goes through January and February. "Plan A" was to have the children go to one year of Korean school. After spending last summer in Utah, the children missed two months of school, so we all agreed that they should go for two more months and complete a full "year"of school. They still struggle with the language and we are hoping that a few more months will make a difference. Well, "Plan B" got complicated, because Gracie went to Middle School. That meant she had to buy uniforms, cut her hair a certain length, and take school very seriously. We were up for the challenge and we bought her two uniforms. (When we bought her the uniforms the sales clerk looked at us in disbelief, like she'd never sold to a Caucasian student before. I don't think she ever has). After two months of middle school life, which included Gracie getting home from school at 5 p.m. everyday and spending at least two days in detention per week, I decided to talk to her homeroom teacher. During this conference I asked, "Does, Gracie understand 10% of what is being taught?" (I chose 10% because I thought it was conservative and I hoped that she would assure me that she understood more than that). She looked thoughtful for a moment and then answered, "I don't think she understands that much." I think my jaw dropped. We withdrew Gracie the next day. She is now working with BYU online middle school courses and has a personal math teacher/tutor. It has been nice to be with her during the day. She is learning how to make bread. She loves to cook, so we do some "cooking classes". She also is training her puppy as part of her English writing project.
The other children have done a little better with "Plan B". James has a teacher that has been very open-minded and allowed him to have a personal tutor come into class during the Korean hour. This has helped and he is learning how to read Korean. Because James teacher allowed a tutor, Miriam's and Anna's teachers have also allowed tutor sessions during the school day. We are making progress, although it is slow.

Jim took the children over to school on their first day. He came back with tears in his eyes. I said, "It's tough isn't it?" I don't think he understood it until then. It is tough. It's just so different. And they seem so alone, and so brave, and so different.

A Tale of Two Dogs

2011-06-26T03:38:00.004-04:00

In February I found myself dog sitting a spoiled housedog for two months. We thought it might help Kipboom overcome his dog aggression, and two dogs cannot possibly be that much more work than one, right? Wrong. The dogs hated each other. I counted the days until we had only one dog again.
One day, while the girls were on the roof cleaning, they started playing with a ball with Kipboom. Something triggered the dogs to start fighting (I think it was the ball--they both wanted it). Miriam, acting heorically tried to break the dogs up. She ended up getting a nasty bite right above the knee. The bite was very deep, but could not be stitched because of the risk of infection. She now has two ugly scars on her left leg. We don't know which dog bit her. It all happened so fast. I like to think it wasn't our dog, but we'll never know.
Rule #1: Don't ever get a dog.
Rule #2: If you break rule #1, don't ever think that dogsitting is the same thing as a playdate for your dog.

Gracie's Speech

2011-05-17T01:22:00.018-04:00

Last fall, Susan Grace was nominated to run for class president in her 6th grade class at the Korean school. She was surprised by the nomination and even more surprised when she won. A week later she told me that each class president had the option of running for student body president. I asked her what she was going to do. She said, “I think I’ll run”.
I had mixed feelings about her running. I thought she would make a great president, but knowing the language and the culture certainly must be a requirement for running, no? So, in a bossy mother tone I offered my unsolicited opinion, “If you run, your speech had better be in Korean”.
She worked hard on that speech and many friends and neighbors helped her. The day of the speech arrived and I went to the school to cheer her on. The speeches were streamed live from the principal’s office into each of the thirty classrooms where the students watched them on 52 inch flat screen televisions. I found Miriam’s classroom and watched from there. One by one the class presidents gave their speeches. After each speech the class politely clapped. As time went on, children became bored and there was a lot restless background noise. I waited. Finally, Gracie’s turn came and she started her speech, in English. My heart sank. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. I watched the screen as she came to the end of her speech and paused. She looked up at the screen, smiled and then looked back at her paper. She took a deep breath and started to speak. This time, she spoke Korean. She seemed to struggle with every word. The rustling papers stopped. The background chatter ceased. The classroom was completely silent. The only sound was her struggling voice. She finished, looked up at the screen and smiled. The silence broke and there was an unexpected burst of cheering that filled the classroom. My eyes filled with tears as I stepped into the hallway. The hallway roared with the cheers of every classroom in the building. I could not believe it. No one could.
When she came home from school that afternoon she smiled her "I’m so excited" smile and said, “I won Mom!” I hugged her and thought, “Yes, Gracie, you did”.

Orchard Row

2011-05-16T01:57:00.007-04:00

One of my favorite places to go walking is on the mountain behind my home. On the mountain, there is a special spot of mine. I call it, “Orchard Row” because of the curving, dirt path lined both sides by big, old trees. There are streams along the path and if I walk far enough, I will eventually find a secluded pond with lily pads. Last January, I walk and hiked along my Orchard Row. It was quiet. Winter’s darkness had settled in there and it was cold and dark—even though it was midmorning. For the most part, my orchard felt "dead". I touched the bark of one of those big, old trees. I couldn’t help but whisper out loud, “Is it possible?” And then, the answer came not from the tree, but seemed to whisper from somewhere else in the orchard, “I promise.” I returned several times during the next few months. Again, it seemed quite hopeless in those winter months that those trees could be any different than they were.

In early April, during my walking there, I noticed the smallest forming of a bud on the long straight branches of one of my trees. I couldn’t help but gently pat the tree, and smile.

Within weeks, Orchard row was all but a million blossoms. The streams were running happily down the hill and children were playing in open meadows. As I entered the orchard from the busy road of concrete and noise, I couldn’t help but feel like I was stepping into an enchanted storybook forest. It’s hard to describe the feeling I get during those days of the blossoms. I feel close to God. I feel close to the Garden Tomb spoken of in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John of the Holy Bible. One day as I walked slowly down the dirt path of “my orchard” looking up at those giant old trees, the sweet fragrance of blossoms filled the air and I could have sworn I heard them singing, “Hallelujah! Oh praise Him! Hallelujah!

So it is with life. Dark moments full of disappointment, despair, and even death may surround us. All hope seems to be futile. The winter is dark and quiet. But, there is a promise: In the right time, during the right season, faith will replace doubt, hope will replace despair, and life will replace death. I promise.

The promise...

2011-04-18T20:02:00.003-04:00

A Sign of Spring

2011-04-16T02:34:00.001-04:00

Snowflakes

2011-02-28T01:20:00.022-05:00

We took a little break from the city and spent two days out near the east coast at a ski resort called Yeong Pyong. It snowed the entire time we were there. It was the best skiing I've ever experienced. Soft powder and no lines. One of my favorite moments of our trip was riding up the ski lift with Jim. Looking down at his coat he said, "Look at the snowflakes. There are no two alike". The white snowflakes danced and sparkled on his black coat. I would never have noticed them, but once I did, I found myself mesmerized by the tiny, delicate movements of their short lives. I was lost in a moment of wonder.

*We found out later that this snowstorm was the biggest snowstorm in 100 years.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T06:12:00.001-05:00

Knit Hits

2011-02-09T02:04:00.006-05:00

I finally finished my first project from the yarn shopping I did last summer in NYC. I made this pink hat. It was intended for Margaret, but I tweeked the pattern a little bit and it turned out to be too big. It kind of fits me. I wear it.

Last Christmas, I suggested that the girls try and make homemade gifts for Christmas. Miriam made skirts for Anna and Margaret and then knit this scarf for Gracie. She has a strong creative instinct. Gracie also did some nice work. She made me the bottom scarf.

Knitting is one of my favorite past times.

Sew Crazy

2011-01-23T00:16:00.022-05:00

This skirt started it all.

Last fall, I had a bright idea. I thought that the young woman group in our church should make modest skirts and have a fashion show. It would be fun and give us a purpose in our activities. Without thinking too much about it I planned an activity to choose a simple skirt pattern. While planning the activity, I decided that I better make a skirt myself since I expected the young women to make one. This is when the difficulties began. I didn't have a sewing machine and I don't know how to sew. I looked for a sewing machine at a few local stores and couldn't find one. Finally, Jim's TA at work ordered a machine online. Ironically, it turns out the machine came from The States (I could have ordered it myself). To make the situation more complicated, it was stuck in Customs waiting for us to pay taxes and tariffs. When the machine finally arrived, it was the day before our activity to sew the skirts.
The activity was one of the most stressful days of my life. Remember, I don't know how to sew and there I was trying to sew on a machine I had never used, making a skirt I had never made. During the activity, one of the young women took my iron and pressed it against the wall. I have a nice burn mark on my wall to remind me of this great endeavor to make a modest skirt. Whew.
It took a few days to pick myself up off the ground from this activity. Eventually, I stepped back and asked myself, "how can I make this work?". I asked for help from some women at church that know how to sew. They very graciously agreed to help, me first with my skirt; and then the girls with theirs. About three months later we all had modest skirts that we had made.
Miriam, my eleven year old could not help but get caught in the sewing frenzy. She made herself a skirt while we made ours. She actually finished hers first and then helped that other girls make theirs. She enjoyed sewing so much that she decided to make a skirt for Anna and Margaret for Christmas. She made the tiered skirts for them. Gracie ended up borrowing a Simplicity pattern from a friend who helped her make her skirt. My skirt was a pattern out of a Scandinavian pattern book that I found from another friend. It is called the Gored Summer Skirt.
In the end, I needed tons of help and thanks to some willing expert seamstresses we finished our activity and I learned that Miriam loves sewing. She made it look sew easy.

Daniel Turns Two

2011-01-14T02:47:00.014-05:00

Our district Youth Conference was from December 28-30. I was chaperoning the youth at a military retreat center for part of Daniel's birthday and the two days before. Most of the conference, I was cold and tired and eating yucky food. Serving with the youth of my church often makes me think of the youth leaders I had when I was young. They did so much for me and I was pretty much an unthankful youth with tunnel vision. As always, experience is the best teacher of all.
At 3 a.m. on Daniel's birthday, Jim called me at youth conference to tell me that Daniel was throwing up and had terrible diarreah. What a bummer, it was his birthday. As soon as the sun was up, I raced home. Daniel seemed fine but we just mosied around the house for most of the day. It turns out that the night before, Daniel had eaten five (or more--the eye witnesses just aren't sure) oranges. I think that's what made him sick. Hmmm.
Thanks to Miriam (our official ice cream cake maker), Daniel had a cute cake. It was so nice to be home with him and the family. We played games and opened presents. The best part of all was watching him blow out the candles. We had so much fun watching him do this that we just kept lighting them and singing. It made us all feel two again.

Daniel's favorites:

1. Daniel loves t-shirts with "things" on them, like Thomas-the-Tank or a dinosaur growling. I honestly cannot get him to put on a nice striped shirt. He strongly prefers to have something scary or cool on it. When it comes to dressing, he is very independent and likes to pick out his clothes.

2. He says "Mo" instead of "No" and he says this often.

3. He is really good at making sounds. He makes lots of animal sounds and is adding in other sounds like, "vroom". Miriam made him this "Vroom Plate" for his birthday. He loves it and will not eat on anything else.

4. Daniel is constantly messing around with our DVDs and CDs. It makes me crazy. During the holidays, Daniel made sure that I would not be listening to Christmas music. Everytime I would put it on, he would run over to the player and take out the CD. Grrrrr. That made me mad. One of Daniel's favorite DVDs is Max and Ruby and Little Einsteins

5. Daniel loves lining up his toys.

6. Daniel loves puzzles.

7. Daniel loves books. His favorite book is this huge encylopedia-like book about animals. It is called, "Five Hundred Things You Should Know About Animals".

8. Daniel loves Margaret and always wants to be doing or playing with whatever she is playing with (much to Margaret's sorrow). One day they were spatting and Margaret's finger got slammed in the door. Daniel was so sad and hugged her and tried to comfort her. She turned to me and said, "I'm okay, now. Daniel apologized to me". After all the drama, that statement made me smile because I didn't know he knew how to apologize and I didn't know she knew the word for it.

Snow

2011-01-10T23:56:00.004-05:00

Christmas Day

2011-01-09T23:43:00.014-05:00

My Christmas Day favorites: opening presents, eating breakfast at the Hyatt, and playing "Blindman's Bluff".

Christmas Eve

2011-01-09T01:47:00.012-05:00

For the first time since I moved to Seoul, I decided to buy a turkey and cook it. Shortly after I got home from the store, I realized that my turkey was twice as big as my oven. Hmm.

I told my good friend about my dilemma and she said I could use her oven to cook our turkey (she lives on the U.S. Army Base and has a bigger oven) and spend Christmas Eve with their family.

On Christmas Eve while our turkey cooked, we ate American fast food at the food court, went bowling, and to a movie (Tron). It was fun to see all of the hustle and bustle on base. The stores where crammed with last minute shoppers. It reminded me of Christmas Eve in America. I couldn't help but smile. Who knew an army base could be so much fun?

While the kids and Jim were at the movie, I enjoyed cooking with my friend. Later that evening, we all enjoyed dinner and games and a children's nativity for entertainment.

We drove home through the heart of Seoul at about 10:00 p.m. The math and English academy buses were running as usual. The dry cleaner across the street was working at his usual fast and furious pace ironing shirts for local customers. It was a sharp contrast to the festive atmostphere we had witnessed on the U.S. Army Base.

*My friend's husband had spent a day earlier in the week at the Army Base Woodshop making the wooden top game in the above picture. He got the instructions online. The game was really fun, kind of like pinball and bowling rolled into one.

Independent

2011-01-09T01:38:00.004-05:00

Daniel decorating a cookie, December 2010.

The Entrepeneur

2011-01-09T01:18:00.004-05:00

James is always looking for ways to make money. One day after school, he bustled around the house with crayons, paper and tape. He then grabbed his leftover Halloween candy and was out the door. Next thing I knew, he was on the street selling his candy. This sale proved to be far more successful than his previous sales. We discovered that our neighbors love American chocolate.

"Margaret" in Lowercase Letters

2011-01-09T00:19:00.006-05:00

Sweet and Savvy

2010-12-31T02:07:00.009-05:00

What to do with all of that Halloween candy?

Margaret opted to eat hers. She ended up with two root canals and two silver teeth.

James on the other hand, opted to sell his. The sale was a hit and he ended up putting a little silver in his pocket.

Almost Two

2010-12-23T01:26:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Gracie!

2010-12-23T01:15:00.006-05:00

She's thirteen. Now what?

Kipboom- 3 Months Old

2010-12-23T01:06:00.005-05:00

I can't believe I'm posting about a dog!

Happy Halloween

2010-12-23T00:12:00.004-05:00

Kitchen Help

2010-12-23T00:07:00.004-05:00

Who Would Chews a Puppy?

2010-12-22T23:08:00.006-05:00

In these pictures it may look like Boom is listening, but he's not. This surprises me. We chose the German Shephard dog because this breed was described as being, "responsive and highly intelligent".

Life with a puppy has had its challenges. Two days after we got him, we discovered that he had parasites. I thought using a breeder would safeguard us against parasites, but, alas it did not. We got through the parasite ordeal and then we set up shop for a dog. We built a fence in the stairwell, cut a hole in the door and got him a nice heated bed. It wasn't long before we realized that we would need to have water on the roof, so we had a hose installed. Then we faced the dilemma of what and how much to feed him--that was tough considering the fact that we could not read the packages. At times it seems it doesn't matter what we feed him because he chews on everthing and lots of what he chews ends up being swallowed. He has chewed through three of our neighbor's internet cords, chewed up the upholstery on my porch swing and chewed through and then into pieces the cord to his heating pad. He chews up shoes, hats, gloves etc.

Chewing isn't his only problem. He is a mischief maker. One day, when Susan Grace was cleaning up the roof, she left the hose running in one corner while she cleaned in another. While her back was turned, Boom, picked up the hose with his mouth and carried it into the stairwell of our apartment. One hundred gallons of water later, Gracie realized that the hose was dumping into the stairs, not the drain on the roof. Flood! What a mess. It was on that day that I secretly hoped our neighbors would insist that we get rid of the dog. But, that was not to happen.

Gracie spends hours and hours with her dog. I would guess that 75% of it is work and 25% play. Still she does it. She's learned good lessons in responsibility and diligence and love. The other children's reactions: Miriam, much to her sorrow, is allergic to him. Anna, absolutely adores him and would spoil him rotton. James is scared to death of him. Margaret and Daniel aren't allowed to get by him--he jumps up on them and knocks them over. And Jim, he loves him almost as much as Susan Grace does.

Me, well, I'm leaning towards sending him to a really good obedience school.

Boom

2010-12-22T22:33:00.014-05:00

When Gracie was two years old I worked as a home health nurse. One day, I went to do some home health visits and when I came home Jim was playing "dog" with her. She would roll over, sit, shake and even fetch at his command, then he would give her a treat. I was horrified. What happened to teaching the ABC's to our little one? I should have known then that this puppy problem was not going to go away. Gracie grew to love animals but one in particular, the dog.

As long as I can remember, Gracie has wanted a dog. This year she turned thirteen. She's never had a yard to run and play in. She's changed schools four times in six years. The last change was to a school in which she couldn't speak the language. To make matters worse, she went from being a middle schooler to being in elementary school again. A huge blow that she seemed to take in stride. In fact, she's taken it all in stride and then some. She was elected to be the student body president of the Korean Elementary School in our town.
I decided if Gracie could do the impossible, then so could I. On September 23 we drove to Yangpyang and bought a German Shepherd puppy. We named him Kipboom (it means joy in Korean). We call him Boom for short.

North Korea

2010-12-20T23:38:00.006-05:00

In September, Jim's good friend from high school visited us here in Korea. While he was here, they took a tour up to the North Korean border or the DMZ (demilitarized zone). Susan Grace tagged along with them.

Since we moved here in 2008 I have wondered about our enemy next door. There have been times when I have woken up during the night and looked out the window and thought, "how will I get out of here with my family if war breaks out?" It's a frightening thought.
When North Korea does something aggressive, my friends and family worry. The truth is, life in South Korea moves along at a pretty regular pace. The buses run, the schools are in session and little is mentioned about North Korea. I think I noticed more emotion over the standard of U.S. beef than I did over North Korea's nuclear weapons testing in May of 2009. My perception is that South Korea doesn't know anything different than an enemy next door. They live with it. They are sorry at times, but they live with it.
The father of my close friend escaped from North Korea during the war. He survived on a bag of rice that his mother gave to him. He hid along the roadside traveling to Seoul seeking refuge. Only two generations ago this peninsula was divided by war.

War is near and real to them, but I don't think the South Koreans live in fear. They are too hearty. They just live.

Fourteen Years

2010-11-27T02:47:00.014-05:00

November 27, 1996, Salt Lake City, Utah1997, Provo, Utah1998, Orem, Utah1999 Salt Lake City, Utah2000, Provo, Utah2001, Chicago, Illinois2002, Chicago, Illinois2003, Palmyra, New York2004, Chicago, Illinois 2005, Provo, Utah2006, Chicago, Illinois 2007, Cambridge, Massachusettes2008, Bali, Indonesia2009, Bountiful, Utah

2010, Salt Lake City, Utah

Time is Up

2010-11-26T02:29:00.003-05:00

This clock in Venice tells the time of day, the zodiac sign and the moon phase. Our time in Italy was up. We flew from Venice to Rome. The views of the Tuscan farms from the plane were dream like. Kind of like my vacation.

Tom and Alenka

2010-11-26T01:12:00.008-05:00

On our last day in Venice, Jim's brother Tom and his wife came to Venice to see us. They live in Slovenia. It was our first time meeting his wife, Alenka. She is kind and gracious and easy to love. We walked through Venice enjoying the vegetable and fish markets. We bought a Venetian mask for Margaret and some pasta for me. Time was running out. At noon we left to catch our plane back to Rome.

A Venetian Sonnet

2010-11-24T07:45:00.013-05:00

Before going to Venice, I had this sentimental expectation that Jim and I would find a secluded spot and dance to a band under the moonlight. I mentioned this to Jim and he looked at me like he was going to laugh. "Where's your romance?" I asked feeling a bit disappointed that he didn't share my vision.

After arriving in Venice we took a boat down the main canal to Saint Mark's Cathedral. On the boat there was an elderly Italian man. We talked to each other and he said to me, "I love Venice," and put his hand to his heart. As I looked at Venice for the first time, I could see why he loved this city.
From Saint Mark's Cathedral we strolled through the streets of Venice. We stopped on a small bridge to watch the gondola tour boats lined up like a Disneyland ride. The boats wound around the side canals and under our bridge. The tourists inside were drinking wine and taking photos. One gondola guide was singing opera at the top of his lungs as he stood in the back of the boat wearing a traditional black and white striped shirt pushing his long gondola ore through the water. That was impressive. It made Jim and I smile.
We heard a few bands playing in the distance. One song I heard over and over in Italy was the Frank Sinatra song, "I Did It My Way". Near the end of our walking, we found a lonely piazza near the water. There was a band playing in the distance. I said, "Let's dance". Then I realized how silly the idea was. Neither of us knows how to dance. Instead, Jim read me this poem he wrote,

My Venetian Sonnet
To Kimber my love. Venice September 16, 2010

Some say romance is not my forte
They must be silly is what I say
Romance like life is full of surprises
Sunsets in the evening and morning sunrises
All plants and flowers grow so slow
It’s nearly impossible to really know
My love like flowers began to bloom
When you entered my heart like a room
To me romance was always pish posh
But now I frequently think o my gosh!
What would I do if my kimber were gone?
My heart would fail under weight of 10 ton
You are my life my wind and my wings
You make my winter turn into springs
I love you dear Kimber in Venice or home
In a gondola, the kitchen or Rome
It does not matter where we are
As long as I am with you romance is thar
Romance is a word that still means nothing to me
But Kimber dear Kimber sets my heart free.
Its not romance but Kimber I crave
To be near me and love me long past the grave
Dear Kimber I count each day as the best
As long as I am with you my heart is at rest
So romance can ebb and flow like the tide
I’ll sit here in Venice next to my bride
My heart is content my love pure
And romance yes romance can eat cow manure

Cute. Very cute. It made me smile. Then we took our own picture.
**Our hotel in Venice, Hotel Santa Chiara. Restaurant, Ristorante Da Nino.

Venice

2010-11-23T00:54:00.011-05:00

On Thursday we left Florence and headed for Venice. When we got to the train station the tickets were sold out for the train we wanted. That meant we had to wait there for two hours. That was a disappointment. We didn't want to sit in the train station for two hours waiting for a train so we just hopped on the sold out train. We crouched in the back near the luggage for a while. I felt a bit anxious as I wondered what kind of a penalty the Italian government has for foreigners who steal away on their trains. Jim told me to just stay quiet. When the conductor came to us and asked us for our tickets, Jim handed them to him. The conductor said, "You're on the wrong train". I looked at Jim. He looked at the conductor and said, "Oh, so that's why someone is in our seats". The conductor smiled, charged us ten dollars, and that was that. We arrived in Venice at 4 p.m.

Streets of Florence

2010-11-19T07:48:00.000-05:00

Smart Cars

2010-11-19T07:40:00.003-05:00

The way to go in Italy. Where would I put my six kids?

The Markets of Florence

2010-11-19T07:27:00.006-05:00

I wasn't expecting Florence to be a shoppers paradise, but it was. Flower markets, bazaars of Italian leather, silk ties and scarfs, and high end shops of fine Italian designer clothing. Before leaving, we did a little shopping. I got a red leather backpack. Jim got some silk ties.

Angiolino's and Hotel Davanzati

2010-11-19T06:59:00.008-05:00

The name of the restaurant we ate at in Florence is Angiolino's and the hotel we stayed at is Hotel Davanzati. I love the plaid tablecloths, so common in Italy. The minestrone soup we ate there had rice instead of noodles. I liked this version and have tried to recreate it:

Saute in pan:

left over pot roast chopped (1 cup)

garlic (1-2 cloves)

onion (small yellow diced)

celery (chopped 1 stalk)

carrots (chopped 1 cup)

add:

broth from crock pot roast (4 cups)

4 cups tomato juice or V8

add a can of stewed tomatos (I puree mine first)

simmer

add:

green beans

white beans

zuccini

1 Cup cooked rice

simmer until veggies are soft.

season to taste with basil, oregano, pepper

Top with fresh parmasean and serve with a bagette of bread with butter! Add a salad and your done.

Tuscany

2010-11-19T01:31:00.008-05:00

I have been enamored with Tuscany for a long time- the style, the countryside, the art, the food. Florence, the heart of Tuscany had beautiful food. After visiting the Duomo, Jim and I stopped in a deli, bought olives, pesto and bread. Then we walked the streets of Florence window shopping.

The Duomo

2010-11-12T21:50:00.005-05:00

We only had twenty four hours in Florence. First thing in the morning we hiked to the top of the Duomo and looked out over the city. As we walked around the inside of the dome, a small choir of men were singing. Their acapella voices echoed throughout inside of the dome. It was beautiful and enchanting. On the ceiling of the Duomo is a fresco painted by Vasari and Zuccari. It depicts the last judgement. The lower tiles are scenes of hellfire and damnation. The scenes gradually move heavenward to depict glory and honor bestowed upon the righteous. The painting in the very top of the dome was most impressive to me. I loved the warm, deep colors and the remarkable work of depth perception. The figures actually look three dimensional, especially the man with his leg dangling. It looks like he is coming out of the ceiling.